Several systems and devices are available to provide correction and stabilization of the spine. Such systems and devices can include screws engaged to the vertebral bodies and configured for engagement with elongated rods or plates that extend along the vertebral bodies. Devices for fusing adjacent vertebrae and artificial disc replacement are also available. Furthermore, nonoperative devices and methods, such as bracing and observation, can be used whenever applicable.
During a spinal surgical procedure, a device can be engaged to a vertebra and a load applied thereto to provide a corrective force. The corrective load that can be applied to the device can be limited by, for example, the ability of the device to receive the applied load and remain properly engaged to the bony structure in which it is implanted. In such cases the applied corrective load may cause movement of the device relative to the vertebra and the resulting loss of engagement or interface therebetween, or the corrective load may be limited to prevent such an occurrence.
There remains a need for spinal surgical techniques for attaching constructs to one or more vertebral elements that address these shortcomings in prior procedures.